PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd – South Sudan

"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing" By Konstantin Josef Jireček, a Czech historian, diplomat and slavist.

First Vice President, Taban Deng Ghai’s innocence is known to God

By Reech Malual, Juba, South Sudan

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The swearing in ceremony of Gen. Taban Deng Ghai as the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, photo by Maal Maker Thiong on July 26th, 2016, J-1, Juba

November 7, 2016 (SSB) — In deed the innocence of the First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai is only recognized and rewarded from God’s hands with a golden-prize. Some people may look from a negative perspective, but if we look into First Vice President [FVP], General Taban’s heart and mind, you would find a pure loyal soul of all times. I have no doubt that First Vice President’s intentions have always been sincere and committed in all scenarios he happened to be part.

While in Bentiu as a Unity State’s Governor, some may recall His Excellency the FVP’s loyalty to president Salva Kiir serving SPLM‘s mission as trusted by his party though this exposed his personality to hatred and a lot of negativity thereof.

However His Excellency also served the mother SPLM-IO with all his heart, mind, Soul, money and his time with sincere loyalty to the movement and Chairperson Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhuorgon, since day one till the August Peace accord was signed in 2015 and Gen. Taban had to spearhead the play of trust between the government and the movement by coming to Juba for the first time after armed-political breakout in the Country.

As the head of SPLM-IO advance team H.E the FVP inserted more efforts and the Movement leaders both military and political; found their way to Juba city in the first half of 2016, but later on his efforts and loyalty for the movement were seen as unimportant, so he was disappointed at a certain corner where he submitted in resignation later from the lead negotiator, SPLM-IO led negotiator and JMEC‘s member though he remained an SPLM-IO leader.

A question of whether he triggered recent July’s incident has been always put forward by his SPLM-IO opponents but to be sincere; the third eye does not see Gen. Taban’s involvement because of the following reasons.

  1. The fighting was started on Friday by Riek’s personal body guards and SPLA deployments along Gudele road, this happened while Gen. Taban was relaxing at his hotel room.
  2. On Sunday 10th July 2016 the fighting erupted between former FVP’s body guards and President Kiir’s, again it happened far away from Gen. Taban’s Knowledge.
  3. Now how do you convince a sane mind that Gen. Taban coordinated the downfall of Dr. Riek in order that he overtakes?

As we come to why Gen. Taban Deng Gai had to come in, I would like you to imagine what the situation would look like if he should have joined and followed Riek Machar, I am sure it would be worse than 2013 December crisis. But his patriotic heart opted for positive though it was a time of putting life to danger; he was able to save Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan [ARCISS] as people talk of it as wounded but not dead, many lives of SPLM/A-IO members whom Dr. Riek left behind  amongst others.

FVP, Gen. Taban Deng intended to save the children and old aged people that’s why decided not to break away going, he wants thousands of children out of schools to get back to learning chances, he wants back the country’s social fabric amongst other values that held him to the decision.

With these, I am able to conclude that Gen. Taban has never had any bad intention against of his colleagues in politics, but he does the right thing at the right time whether with President Kiir Mayardit or former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, only the occurrence dictates.

The writer is a non partisan [no relationship with any political group in the country], Media Legal consultant at HIRACA Consultancy, reachable at rmalual@gmail.com

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